PUPILS WITH AUTISM UNIT 16 DIFFERENTIATION, … PDFs/16_differentiation_adaptation...PUPILS WITH AUTISM UNIT 16 DIFFERENTIATION, ADAPTATION AND MODIFICATION TO ENSURE A RELEVANT AND

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PUPILS WITH AUTISM UNIT 16 DIFFERENTIATION, ADAPTATION AND MODIFICATION TO ENSURE A RELEVANT AND MEANINGFUL CURRICULUM

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Trainees will:

Understand a number of key curriculum issues, in particular differentiation,

adaptation and modification linked to learning style and conceptual level

Identify ways to assess the level of support pupils require and to measure the

success of such input

Make appropriate adaptations to the learning environment and to the ways in

which information is communicated, and

Know the key elements of structured teaching and be able to adapt them

according to a pupil’s profile of need.

ONLINE RESOURCES The content and tasks throughout these PDFs are supported by online resources

that are designed to facilitate and supplement your training experience.

Links to these are signposted where appropriate. The resources use graphics and

interactive elements to:

Highlight salient points

Provide at-a-glance content summaries

Introduce further points of interest

Offer visual context

Break down and clearly present the different stages and elements of processes, tasks, practices, and theories

The online resources offer great benefits, both for concurrent use alongside the

PDFs, or as post-reading revision and planning aids.

Please note that the resources cannot be used in isolation without referencing the

PDFs. Their purpose is to complement and support your training process, rather than

lead it.

You should complete any learning or teaching tasks and additional reading detailed

in this PDF to make full use of the Advanced training materials for autism; dyslexia;

speech, language and communication; emotional, social and behavioural difficulties;

moderate learning difficulties.


To find out more about the resources, how they work, and how they can enhance

your training, visit the homepage at: www.education.gov.uk/lamb

The first resource for this unit can be found here:

www.education.gov.uk/lamb/autism/differentiation/intro

BRIEFING 1 - COMMUNICATION

Wendy Lawson, an adult with Asperger syndrome, describes some of the confusions

that pupils on the autism spectrum might experience:

For instance, we dislike change (we prefer routine), we tend to be obsessive,

we become anxious very easily and we take what is said to us literally (For

example: teacher says "...pull your socks up John or you won't make it into

the team." John bends down and pulls his socks up. The teacher tells him off

and calls him a 'smarty pants'. John replies that he doesn't have any Smarties

in his pants. Teacher sends John to the head mistress/master because he

'talked back’ '. John doesn't know what all the fuss is about... he is missing his

favourite period at school, the time on the computer and he becomes very

upset. John comes home with a note from his teacher that requires him to do

detention for insolent behaviour!

Before I received a diagnosis of ASD I thought that my difficulties in every day

life were because I was not as intelligent as other people. The only way that I

could cope with my daily confusion and frustration was by living according to

my rules, rituals and routines.1

There follows some mini case studies to highlight some typical issues in

communicating with pupils on the autism spectrum and give pointers to some

possible solutions. Some general points around communication with pupils with

autism, drawn from these case studies or associated with them, are set out first:

Cue attention;

If the pupil has not understood what you have said, simplify the sentence and

consider supporting your words with visual means

Beware of using phrases like ‘Would you like to…’ as you may get the honest

answer, ‘No!’

Instructions need to be clear and precise. It is important to make them explicit

rather than implicit. For example 'There’s a chair over there!' is implying Sit on

that chair! However that is not what was said, and so may not be understood

1 http://www.mugsy.org/wendy/asschool.htm

http://www.education.gov.uk/lamb

http://www.education.gov.uk/lamb/autism/differentiation/intro

http://www.mugsy.org/wendy/asschool.htm


Give time to process – asking further questions or giving further information will

only confuse or mean pupils have to start over again

Check the pupil has understood. Do not assume that the pupil has understood

just because you have told the class or group, or because they nod or say, ‘Yes’

when asked. Ask the pupil to state what they have been asked to do in their own

words and if possible to show you what they are going to do

Be aware that what you say could have been taken literally. If you get an

unexpected response, think about what you asked and which could have been

taken literally. If so explain it in a different way to get your meaning across

Similarly with idioms, metaphors and similes. If pupils take the literal meaning it is

an opportunity for teaching. For example, if they are confused by, ‘Pull your socks

up!’ explain what was meant so that the next time they hear it they may be able to

work out the intended meaning or teach pupils to recognise figures of speech and

ask for their meanings

Be aware of the potential confusion that jokes or sarcasm can cause. Give the

pupil strategies or phrases to use if confused, e.g. asking, “Are you joking?”

VIDEO TASK

Watch the Video Clip “Broadfields”.

See this clip:

www.education.gov.uk/lamb/autism/differentiation/broadfields

Note the strategies the teachers use to ensure the curriculum is tailored to the needs

and strengths of the pupils with Autism. In particular note how they work alongside

other professionals and how they ensure that their teaching is focused and engages

pupils with autism.

http://www.education.gov.uk/lamb/autism/differentiation/broadfields


CASE STUDY 1 – DIFFICULTIES IN UNDERSTANDING SPEECH - ANNA

Anna is a pupil with autism. The teacher had told Anna's class that a supply

teacher would be taking the class every Friday until the end of term. On the

following Friday, when Anna entered the classroom and saw the new supply

teacher, she became upset and would not settle for the rest of the day. Anna

reacted in the same way the following week.

TASK 1

a) What do you think may be causing this behaviour?

b) If a colleague described this situation to you, what advice would you offer to help

Anna?

a) Possible causes

In this school, staff made the link between Anna's behaviour and the change in

teacher. Even though the class was given the information verbally and Anna was

able to understand this information, some potential issues were identified:

Anna may not have realised that the general instructions were intended for her as

well as the class, so she may not have been ‘tuned in’ or listening

The language used may have been too complicated or at too quick a pace for

Anna to understand, or

Anna may have heard and understood the instructions but had difficulty holding

them in her head until Friday.

b) Advice

The specialist teacher for the autism spectrum offered the following advice:

Cue the pupil’s attention - help the pupil to concentrate on the relevant

information. Pupils on the autism spectrum are also likely to have difficulties

switching attention from one thing to another. It is important to ensure you have

their attention before giving them any instructions or other verbal information

Adapt your language - pupils on the autism spectrum have difficulty using and

making sense of all aspects of communication, both verbal and non-verbal. Even

those who may appear articulate and speak using good grammatical sentences

have real problems when it comes to using their language to interact with others

in social situations. This will be made worse when they are given too much verbal

information to process at once. Slowing down and simplifying the language used

will give them time to process and focus on the correct key words


Use visual supports and cues - pupils on the autism spectrum often experience

difficulties with language, social communication, planning and organisational

skills. They may also be distractible to a greater or lesser degree. Pupils on the

autism spectrum are visual learners and this is usually an area of strength. The

spoken word is transitory, i.e. once said it is gone. Even if the pupil is able to

‘understand’ the verbal instruction in the first place he or she may forget or be

distracted and may need frequent verbal reminders. Visual cues are concrete

and can remain as a permanent reminder. There are many different forms of

visual support and these can be used in a variety of ways. For example, in this

case, the teacher helped Anna by using a visual cue when telling the pupils

about the Friday staff change. The cue was also shown to Anna before she

went to this class on Fridays. The change was noted on her weekly timetable.

CASE STUDY 2 – DIFFICULTIES IN UNDERSTANDING SPEECH - MOSES

Moses has autism. When he started secondary school he became very anxious

when he was asked to walk down the corridor where the head teacher’s office

was situated.

TASK 2

a) What do you think may be causing this anxiety?

b) If a colleague described this situation to you, what advice would you offer to help

Moses?

Possible causes

After weeks of anxiety and upset, Moses revealed that while on his initial school

visit someone had remarked that if he was sent down that particular corridor he

would be in hot water!

a) Advice

Following discussion with Moses’ teachers the specialist teacher for the autism

spectrum discovered that Moses would often follow instructions or understand

pieces of information, very literally. This could lead him to do things that others

would see as strange or unconventional. As well as taking things in a very literal

way he also lacked the social awareness to realise that his actions might be

interpreted as odd or unusual. This would often lead him into trouble with peers

and staff or cause him great anxiety. The specialist teacher advised staff that


they needed to be aware of this and be ready to explain when there was

confusion.

CASE STUDY 3 – DIFFERENTIATION – SHAI

Shai has autism. He is in year 6. He attends a specialist resource provision for pupils

on the autism spectrum within a mainstream primary school. He is included in a

number of lessons in one of the Y6 classes each week.

Shai has very little spoken language and when he does speak it tends to be

echolalic. He finds group work difficult and responds well to very predictable

sequences, supported by visual systems. His writing skills are at an early stage of

development. He can hold a pencil and is able to write his first name and to make

other marks on paper. In recent assessments Shai was operating at P8 for English

and L1 for science and mathematics.

In preparation for a history lesson, the teacher makes some specific materials to help

Shai access the lesson. These resources are to be used by the teaching assistant (a

member of the resource provision staff).

The lesson is the culmination of a series looking at education in a Victorian school

and comparing this with school today. The class, including Shai, have visited a

history centre where they dressed in Victorian costume and experienced a lesson

using Victorian-style equipment and approaches.

The teacher has prepared a series of photographs of Victorian school equipment,

e.g. slate, chalk, individual wooden desk and abacus, and some modern school

equipment, e.g. calculator, whiteboard and computer. She has also prepared a

photograph of a Victorian schoolboy and one of Shai.

Shai’s task is to place the pictures of equipment under the appropriate photograph of

Shai or the Victorian schoolboy.

To start the lesson, the class is shown photographs of their visit to the history centre

on the interactive whiteboard. The class discusses the experience and key

information is provided, e.g. reminders of the apparatus they used and the style of

teaching. During this class activity, Shai appears unfocused. He hums to himself and

rocks his head from side to side. His teaching assistant tries repeatedly to draw his

attention to the board but he does not appear to be looking.


As the children move to the linked activity, the teaching assistant attempts to engage

Shai in the activity prepared for him by the teacher. He is able to identify the

photograph of himself. However, he appears confused by the task; he does not

seem to understand the significance of the photograph of the Victorian schoolboy.

When given the photographs of equipment he initially flaps the pictures in front of his

eyes. With prompting he understands that he is supposed to place them next to the

photographs and then does this randomly. In the end, the teaching assistant places

the pictures correctly and talks to Shai about them.

TASK 3 – DIFFERENTIATION – SHAI

Imagine that you had observed this lesson. How would you explain to Shai’s teacher

why the differentiation to the lesson for Shai did not help Shai to access the activity?

What would you advise the teacher to have done differently? Plan a differentiated

activity that you think would have been meaningful and cognitively appropriate for

Shai.

Advice:

The specialist teacher for autism explored Shai’s level of understanding of

events that have happened in the past with the class teacher and staff from

the resourced provision. It was reported that Shai has difficulty in recalling

what he has done at the weekend when returning to school on Monday. In

partnership with Shai’s parents, the provision staff had set up a photography

project where Shai takes photographs on a digital camera of key events over

the weekend. He brings in the camera on Monday and the photographs are

downloaded and printed. Shai is then encouraged to place the photographs

on a timeline for the weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) so he can see

the chronological order of events that are meaningful for him. A weekday

timeline has also been introduced for use in the school using photographs of

Shai at school. In discussion with the specialist teacher, the class teacher and

TA decided that Shai might be better served by developing a concept of today

and yesterday as a starting point for his work in History.

The specialist teacher also asked the class teacher and staff from the

resource provision to reflect on the link for Shai between photographs and

objects. They observed him over a number of different lessons and

discovered that he only responded to photo prompts of familiar activities or

items. They decided it was likely that he had not recognised the photographs

of the Victorian items as he had only seen them once on the visit to the history

centre. An individual lesson was planned where Shai was able to use and

handle objects such as a slate with chalk and an abacus and then find the


matching photo card. It was agreed that Shai was likely to need this level of

rehearsal whenever new photo cards were introduced.

See online resource:

www.education.gov.uk/lamb/autism/differentiation/rehearsal

TASK 4 – RESPONDING TO PUPILS’ LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION

NEEDS THROUGH DIFFERENTIATION

In the left-hand column of the table below, which has been adapted from one in the

Scottish Toolbox for autism2, you will see examples of the potential impact of

communication autism on teaching and learning.

In the central column, list some things you might try to do to respond to the specific

needs.

In the right-hand column, list specific examples or strategies from your own

experience to help remove the barriers to participation and learning that

undifferentiated lessons might create for pupils with autism.

Table1: The impact of communication in autism on teaching and learning

The impact of autism on teaching and learning

Impact of autism Responding to the needs Specific strategies and

examples

2 The Autism Toolbox: An Autism Resource for Scottish Schools accessed at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/07/06111319/0

http://www.education.gov.uk/lamb/autism/differentiation/rehearsal



Pupils on the autism

spectrum are likely to

interpret language on

a literal level.

They may have

‘semantic’ and

‘pragmatic’ difficulties,

i.e. difficulties with the

‘meaning’ of words

and, while seemingly

articulate, may have

problems using

language in a social

context

They may also take

longer to process and

understand verbal

information.

They may not be

‘tuned’ in to non-verbal

cues.

Briefing 2: Social understanding and relating

Schools are sociable places where pupils are often required to learn in group

situations and may often be encouraged to participate in small groups or in pairs to

embed a new skill or piece of knowledge. Some subjects, such as drama, demand a

high level of social relating. Each school day also presents the opportunity for social

interaction outside the classroom, e.g. at break times, eating together at lunchtime

and during after school activities.

Many pupils may find the demands of fitting in with the social world challenging at

different points during their school career, the pupil on the autism spectrum may find

the challenge to be a persistent one. Some may struggle with understanding teacher

expectations, the social rules governing participation in a lesson or activity and any

of the implicit conventions, which are more easily understood by others. Some mini

case studies, which illustrate some of these issues, are presented here. First you will

find listed some possible responses to social confusion in the classroom:


Make social expectations explicit and use visual systems to communicate

these (e.g. poster, information sheet for planner, rule list card)

Make any exceptions to rules clear – non-uniform day, seating arrangements,

use if the same space (e.g. school hall) for different purposes and how this

impacts on expectations of behaviour

Communicate social routines clearly using visual prompts as needed (e.g.

how to ask/answer questions; how to line up in playground; protocols for

getting lunch in dining hall)

Support understanding by incorporating Quality First elements into learning

processes (e.g. highlight relevant and key points using visual systems such as

whiteboards, sticky notes, colour coding and highlighting, mind maps)

Embed social coaching into lessons (f you are not sure what to do, put your

hand up and wait for me to say your name)

Ensure the nature and demands of a task are clearly understood (e.g. with

homework give approximate timings for each section and what needs to be

covered in each, necessary equipment/tools for the activity).

CASE STUDY 4 – GEORGE: DIFFERENTIATION AND ADAPTATION

George has autism. He is full time in a mainstream, year 5, mixed ability class.

He comes across as articulate although he does have semantic pragmatic

difficulties.

George finds it particularly difficult when a new topic is introduced and he rarely

contributes at ‘carpet time’. In fact he becomes very anxious and disruptive at these

times. He is however a mine of information on his favourite topic, which is Dr Who.

George can be very engaged when the discussion is about something he knows

about and he is very motivated to complete tasks when he knows what to do. He is

not always very organised. He does however use a wide range of demand

avoidance strategies, particularly when the demand is to write, which in George’s

view is ‘too much!’

George’s teacher is planning a science lesson that will involve:

some introductory discussion of a new topic around solutions and evaporation

setting up and carrying out an experiment, and

recording the findings.

She has on previous occasions, sent George out for sessions like this to work 1:1

with a teaching assistant (TA). This strategy was successful in avoiding the potential

disruption to the rest of the class if George became anxious, fidgety and began


making loud comments that were not relevant. This and more extreme challenging

behaviours had happened in the past. However the teacher was also keen to help

George achieve his IEP target of taking part in more whole class activities. She

thought she had some ideas of how she could set up the lesson so that her class

and George could achieve success. She consulted the teacher with advanced and

specialist skills in autism for advice.

TASK 5 – DIFFERENTIATION – GEORGE

What preparation, adaptations, and differentiation would you advise the teacher to

make to help George take part in this lesson fully?

In this school the teacher with advanced and specialist skills in autism suggested

some strategies and George and the rest of the class had a very successful lesson.

It was commented that he contributed appropriately to the class discussion and that

he had written more than he ever had before. There were several other pupils in the

class with writing difficulties who also benefited from this strategy.

Here is what they did:

Prior to the lesson, during his regular 1:1 time, the teacher gave the TA a list of

key words and concepts that were going to be used in the topic, so that George’s

understanding of them could be developed. This ‘priming’ helped George to tune

in to and understand the class discussion. He felt confident enough to put his

hand up and answer questions and to share some facts he had found out by

himself about the sea and how some people got salt from it. George even used

the word evaporation.

To help George carry out the experiment successfully, his teacher gave him

some visual support to aid his focus and to help him plan the steps of what he

had to do in order. The visual cues comprised of pictures and headings of the key

steps in the process. He was given a wallet with pictures of the main stages of

the experiment. He had to put them with the headings in the right order and then

carry out the experiment.

The recording of the experiment was simplified as George merely had to stick his

visual sequence into his book, label it and add some drawings of his own to show

what had happened. He was only asked to write one sentence to describe what

he had found but in fact he wrote several

During the experiment, the TA, with George and some of the other pupils, took

photos of themselves. These photos helped George and others to reflect on what

they had done


Although George turned out to be very engaged and cooperative in this lesson,

his teacher knew that sometimes he would not be very motivated. She would

often remind him before a session that if he finished his work he could have some

time working on his Dr Who project. Other pupils could also spend time on things

of their choosing when they had finished as part of a general class reward

system.

CASE STUDY 5:

TASK 6: DIFFERENTIATION AND ADAPTATION – SOPHIE

If Sophie’s Y8 English teacher approached you with this account of her lesson, how

would you suggest she might approach a situation like this in the future?

What links can you make between Sophie’s responses and potential issues relating

to social understanding?

Reflection:

As with all the case study examples, there may be many underlying issues which

impact on the pupil’s responses. As the focus here is on social understanding, this

particular example will be considered from this perspective:

As you read earlier in the unit on the Triad and Sensory Issues, Wendy

Lawson has described the difficulty for some individuals on the autism

spectrum to multi-task and focus on different demands simultaneously. It may

have been too challenging for Sophie to manage the social requirements of

operating in a group at the same time as exploring some academic elements

as well. There may be occasions when the outcomes will need to be

differentiated to allow pupils on the autism spectrum to focus on either the

Sophie is in Y8. She is an able student but will often walk around the classroom

during lessons - particularly when the class are focusing on practical activities.

Sophie was observed in an English lesson (a subject she enjoys). The class had

been studying a scene from Macbeth where Duncan is murdered. The class

watched a video excerpt of the scene and were then asked to work in groups of 3

or 4 to discuss how Macbeth would be feeling after killing his friend. Sophie

shouted out, ‘I don’t do groups’ and left her seat to walk around the room. When

asked to sit with her group, Sophie protested and said there was nothing to talk

about anyway because ‘Macbeth was happy because he did what he wanted’.

The teacher was unable to persuade Sophie to sit down and she spent the rest of

the lesson walking around the room.


social (e.g. working with others in a group, taking turns, staying on topic, using

others’ ideas) or the academic (e.g. embedding new knowledge, practising a

new skill) aspects of a task. She may have been willing to tackle the task on

her own

On this occasion, the task, in addition to being presented as a group activity,

also required some social expertise (an understanding of intention, motivation

and potentially ambivalent feelings). This was likely to be challenging for

Sophie who tended to be quite polarised in her understanding of her own

feelings and had difficulty in ascribing thoughts, feelings and intentions to

others. In this example, Sophie may have been helped by using a graphic

organiser, such as a simple mind map, to help organise her thinking. For

example, a prepared map showing Macbeth as the central element with key

influences (such as Lady Macbeth, the three witches) as sub-elements with

‘thinks’ bubbles for Sophie to write in how each of these elements might make

Macbeth think/feel about the death of Duncan may have helped her to deepen

her thinking on the topic

Walking round the classroom is likely to be a violation of one of the teacher’s

expectations (however, it may also be Sophie’s means of managing her

anxiety or stress levels). There needs to be a clear communication of required

behaviours (e.g. staying in your seat) and, if this is an issue for Sophie that

has been prioritised, a system for feeding back success to her for the

occasions that she manages this


www.education.gov.uk/lamb/autism/differentiation/sophie

TASK 7 – RESPONDING TO PUPILS’ SOCIAL UNDERSTANDING NEEDS

THROUGH DIFFERENTIATION

As before, in the left-hand column of the tables below, which has been adapted from

one in the Scottish Toolbox for autism3, you will see examples of the potential impact

of social understanding in autism on teaching and learning.


needs.

In the right-hand column, list specific examples or strategies from your own



3 The Autism Toolbox: An Autism Resource for Scottish Schools at:


http://www.education.gov.uk/lamb/autism/differentiation/sophie



Table 2: The impact of social understanding in autism on teaching and learning

The impact of autism on teaching and

learning

Impact of autism Responding

to the needs

Specific

strategies and

examples

We cannot assume that pupils on the autism

spectrum ‘know’ social conventions or rules.

They may well do unexpected things or make

the ‘wrong’ decisions, as their choices are not

based on ‘common sense’

They are not always aware of other’s thoughts

and feelings. This is sometimes called

‘mindblindness’

They may find it difficult to find a partner or to

work in groups

BRIEFING 3: Flexibility of thought and social imagination

Predictability, consistency and the use of routines in teaching may help to allay the

anxiety which may be disruptive to learning for some pupils on the autism spectrum.

Coping with unexpected change on many different levels can be problematic for

some. Difficulties in shifting attention from one activity, line of thought or process to

another can present a challenge unless supported by appropriate (to the individual

pupil) levels of preparation or rehearsal. For some, having to juxtapose opposing,

contrasting or even complementary ideas may lead to internal conflict, it may be

necessary to carefully structure the teaching to build resilience to the notion of

understanding and managing different ideas alongside creating opportunities to

practise such cognitive skills.

It should be remembered that skills learned in one setting (such as the classroom)

might not transfer to another setting (such as a different classroom, the school hall,

home). It may be necessary for some pupils on the autism spectrum to re-learn or

practise new skills across a range of settings in order to generalise their learning.


The explicit teaching of problem-solving and thinking skills will be helpful for many

pupils on the autism spectrum.

The ability to focus intensively on an area of personal interest can be a source of

pleasure for many individuals on the autism spectrum who can become specialists in

their particular area of interest (such as the solar system; London underground

system; dinosaurs; geology; flags of the word; radio frequencies). Such passions can

be a useful means of engaging the pupil who is reluctant to participate in classroom

activities.

Before exploring some case studies linked to flexibility of thought and social

imagination, a number of pointers for differentiation to address these needs are

considered here:

Build in routines:

• Use of across-day timetables and within-task ‘to do’ lists

• Use of routine: introduce reliable emotional ‘anchor points’ which are

embedded into the day (for example, establish a start/end of day routine

• Create a predictable and consistent environment within the classroom

• Use of signals/preparation for changes and transitions

• Use routines as a means of supporting independence:

• Predictable routines for completing certain tasks or activities

• Teach the routine, then allow the child to undertake independently

• Initially focus on the routine rather than the content of the activity: choose

activities that will ensure success


www.education.gov.uk/lamb/autism/differentiation/routine

Structure teaching:

• Think about the skill to be taught and break it down into small, logical and

sequential elements

• Teach one element at a time and link each new step to the previous steps

• Introduce a routine element that can be used to teach each part where

possible

• Use visual means to support each teaching element

• Make each element concrete (do rather than say)

• Cut out any ‘unnecessary’ or confusing elements

• Find relevant ways of extending/generalising skills

• Move at the pupil’s pace

• Observe the pupil’s preferred means of learning/interests and exploit

• Where necessary, introduce elements of TEACCH practice for a highly

specific use of structured teaching (see the unit on Evidence Base for

Educational; Interventions for a detailed description of TEACCH)

http://www.education.gov.uk/lamb/autism/differentiation/routine


Teach thinking skills:

• Many schools will have their own programmes to support the development of

thinking skills and problem solving. For the pupil on the autism spectrum

particular attention may need to be given to bridging the skill taught from the

session in which it was learned into the application of that skill in different

settings. Skills taught may include any of the following (adapted from

COGNET4):

• Approaching learning through:

• Systematic exploration: gathering information

• Systematic planning: making a plan

• Controlled expression: communicating thoughts and actions

• Making meaning of learning through:

• Working memory: using memory

• Making comparisons: automatically seeing what is the same and different

• Getting the main idea: automatically finding the most important ideas

• Thought integration: pulling thoughts together

• Connecting events: seeking relationships among events

• Confirming the learning by providing named tools for thinking, problem,

solving and learning

• Precision and accuracy: understanding and using words and ideas correctly

• Selective attention: choosing relevant information

• Problem identification: automatically noticing inconsistencies within the

learning

• Provide a bridge: help to generalise the learning:

• Making the skills used explicit: name them

• Explore how the skills help in different situations

• Make links to other situations where they could be used

• Embed skills learned into all curriculum activities

• Name skills and encourage pupils to practise them

4 Greenberg, K. (1996) The Cognitive Enrichment Network Education Model (COGNET). Paper presented at the

Head Start National Research Conference (3rd, Washington, DC)


CASE STUDY 6: DIFFERENTIATION, ACCOMODATION AND MODIFICATION -

ALI

TASK 7: DIFFERENTIATION, ACCOMODATION AND MODIFICATION – ALI

How would you address this issue?

What information would you want to gather and who might you talk to about Ali?

What suggestions might you make to the teachers involved?

Possible causes:

• Ali arrived from primary school with above average SATs scores; the

secondary school’s initial cognitive assessments indicate that Ali should be

operating in advance of his chronological age. His lack of engagement is not

likely to arise from a lack of ability so other factors need to be considered

• Ali may have found the transition to secondary school challenging, he may be

feeling heightened levels of anxiety if he is not yet aware of the routines which

are particular to his new school

• Ali’s behaviours in class may be symptoms of anxiety or may be established

patterns of behavior

• Ali shares only a few lessons with some of the pupils from his primary school

The specialist teacher for autism did the following:

• He contacted the primary school to ask if they recognized any of the

behaviors teachers were reporting. The SENCO confirmed that Ali had found

transitions to new year groups challenging and had benefitted from an

increase in visual supports at these times.

• He met with Ali’s parents who were also concerned about his reluctance to

attend school. They commented that he had become more volatile at home

and felt that he was feeling very anxious about school. One of the activities

that he found very calming at home was to help with cooking meals. Cookery

was an area of particular interest and skill for Ali. They confirmed that Ali had

not been part of any particular friendship group at primary school but was now

saying he wanted some friends.

Ali is a Y7 pupil attending a mainstream secondary school. He has a diagnosis

of High Functioning Autism. He is very able but teachers have found it difficult

to engage him in learning across all subject areas. He will often refuse to take

part in tasks or activities connected with lessons and can, at times, disrupt

others’ learning by calling out or making comments while the teacher is talking.

Ali is socially isolated, although he would like to have some friends he has not

managed to establish any friendship groups since moving to the secondary

school. He is starting to say that he doesn’t want to come to school and there

are concerns that he is not making progress in any curriculum areas.


• He met with teachers to explore aspects of Ali’s behavior in their lessons. He

discovered that despite the school having very clear protocols around

expectations for behavior, many of the teachers had subtle differences in the

ways they managed their classes.

He met Ali and used a rating scale and agreement line to find out from Ali what was

going well for him and what he might need support with (see unit on identifying the

needs of individual pupils on the autism spectrum)

• Based on his discussions, the specialist teacher worked with Ali’s teacher to

put the following accommodations and modifications into place:

• Teachers were supported to make posters clearly describing their

expectations for participation in their lessons (in some cases this involved

organizational aspects such as where pupils were expected to put their back-

packs or whether they should stand behind their chairs or go straight to their

seats on entering a room). Ali was given matching, credit card sized

reminders of the rules for each teacher, which he carried in a credit-card

pouch. The specialist teacher taught Ali how to use the cards by o0rganising

them in the pouch in the order of the lessons for that day. When waiting in the

line by the door for the teacher to arrive, he could find the card for that lesson

and remind himself of the teacher expectations before going into the class.

• He wrote a Social Story (see the unit on The Social-Emotional Curriculum:

Social Assistance for the Pupil on the Autism Spectrum) for Ali to read about

how to ask for help in the classroom. He helped Ali to explore the impact of

calling out or making comments during a lesson using a Comic Strip

Conversation (more details also available in the see the unit on The Social-

Emotional Curriculum: Social Assistance for the Pupil on the Autism

Spectrum)

• He set up a Y7 lunchtime cookery club to run once a week. The head of Food

Technology agreed to the club running using their facilities and a member of

the teaching team agreed to oversee the club with support from the specialist

teacher. Ali was a founder member and a number of other Y7 pupils joined. In

addition to developing recipes to create themed meals, the club took on

responsibility for preparing items for some school functions. Ali began to

spend some time with some of the other club members outside of the weekly

meeting with their shared enthusiasm for cooking as a starting point.


CASE STUDY 7: DIFFERENTIATION, ADAPTION AND MODIFICATION -

GRACE

TASK 8 - DIFFERENTIATION, ADAPTION AND MODIFICATION - GRACE

As the specialist teacher, what do you see as the key issues for Grace?

What advice would you give to the class teacher? How could Grace be helped to be

more independent of her TAs?

Reflection:

• Grace has been used to receiving support from two specific TAs and two

playtime supervisors. It may be useful to consider slowly introducing other

adults so that she becomes used to working with a few other adults

• It may be helpful to consider the nature of the support being offered. For

example, if in class the TA is accustomed to providing ongoing prompting for

Grace (such as reminding her what equipment she will need for a task), the

emphasis could shift over time to providing a visual prompt list (relating, for

example, to tools for the job). This could list all the possible equipment Grace

could need and her being taught by the TA how to select from the list what is

needed and then gathering those items together. Over time the TA would take

a less active role until Grace is able to use the visual prompt for herself.

Similar prompts could be introduced for other aspects of classroom activities

(for example, a visual reminder of routine elements of a task; to do lists; ‘how

to….’prompts).

• Varying the way TA support is utilised may be helpful, particularly when other

systems for support have been introduced as above. Grace could, on

occasions, be part of a group that is supported by the TA or may work on her

own with the TA offering general support to the class. Grace may need to be

taught systems to recognise when she needs help and how to ask for it when

her TA is not working directly with her.

Grace is in Y4. She has a diagnosis of Asperger syndrome. Her Statement of

Special Educational Need has provided additional resourcing and she has a full-

time Teaching Assistant (TA). This role has been shared between two TAs and at

break and lunchtime Grace has the support of one of the playtime supervisors.

Some members of the school staff are concerned that Grace is very reliant on this

support and that she may find it difficult to cope when she goes to secondary

school where support is arranged differently. The class teacher is very concerned

about changing any of the support for Grace as the previous year she had worked

with another child on the autism spectrum who had reacted very badly to having

their support reduced.


TASK 9 – RESPONDING TO PUPILS’ FLEXIBILITY OF THOUGHT AND SOCIAL

IMAGINATION NEEDS THROUGH DIFFERENTIATION

As before, in the left-hand column of the table below, which has been adapted from

one in the Scottish Toolbox for autism5, you will see examples of the potential impact

of flexibility of thought and social imagination autism on teaching and learning.


needs. In the right-hand column, list specific examples or strategies from your own



Table 3: The impact of flexibility of thought and social imagination in autism on

teaching and learning

The impact of autism on teaching and learning

Impact of autism Responding to the needs Specific strategies and

examples

Organising self and

organising tasks,

planning and working

sequentially and

systematically may be

difficult and

idiosyncratic. Pupils

with autism like

structure and routine

but may impose their

own ‘inappropriate’

ones

5 The Autism Toolbox: An Autism Resource for Scottish Schools at:




Coping with the

unknown or unfamiliar

may be stressful and

have a negative

impact on behaviour

Even ‘minor’ change

can produce a

‘disproportionate’

reaction

Unstructured times

may be stressful and

provoke anxiety.

TASK 10:

When you have completed this table take time to explore the Scottish Toolbox for

ASD, where there are further examples of ways to help remove the barriers to

participation and learning for pupils with autism. You might like to use your

completed table as the basis of a discussion between yourself and colleagues.

Draw up your own table and include additional examples of the impact of autism and

complete the rest of the table in response to your examples.

Documents

PUPILS WITH AUTISM UNIT 16 DIFFERENTIATION, … PDFs/16_differentiation_adaptation...PUPILS WITH AUTISM UNIT 16 DIFFERENTIATION, ADAPTATION AND MODIFICATION TO ENSURE A RELEVANT AND